Precious
by Kristen Elizabeth
Summary: The crew is faced with the hardest job of their questionable careers, while one of their own prepares to say goodbye. Picks up directly after "Objects In Space"
1. Ch 1

Disclaimer: Characters within belong to Joss Whedon, who's basically god, at least in my book.  
  
Author's Notes: This is my first Firefly fan fic, but definitely not my first story on this site. Not even my first story in one of Joss's worlds. I hope you'll enjoy it if you've stopped by to read, and come back for more!

* * *

Precious

by Kristen Elizabeth

* * *

Remember when the days were long 

And rolled beneath a deep blue sky

Didn't have a care in the world

With mommy and daddy standin' by

But "happily ever after" fails

And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales

The lawyers dwell on small details

Since daddy had to fly

- Don Henley

* * *

_Serenity_  
  
"You're really doing it." Kaywinnit Lee looked around at the neat stacks of steel trunks and brocaded bags. Only a week earlier, she would have been sitting in the grand opulence of a Companion's boudoir. Now, she was just in a plain, standard model shuttle. The silks and scarves had been taken down and packed away, and it now looked no different than its twin on the other side of Serenity.  
  
It made her want to cry, and she was proud of herself when she didn't. "You're really leaving us."  
  
Abandoning her efforts to fit all of her shoes into one bag, Inara Serra kneeled down next to the younger girl. "Not you, _mei-mei_. Not any of you. Just…"  
  
"The Capt'n?"  
  
Even hearing just his title made her stomach twist into fresh knots. Instead of answering, Inara stood up and returned to her shoes. "If I wait any longer, we're bound to get into some sort of misguided scrape."  
  
"Prob'ly."  
  
"I simply can't run the risk. I've made appointments on Osiris that must be kept."  
  
"'Course."  
  
Kaylee's too-even-to-be-genuine voice made the Companion turn around to face her again. "You understand then? Why I have to go?"  
  
The girl lifted her shoulders. "I'm thinkin' there's more to it. But it ain't my place. You gotta make a livin', same as any of us."  
  
"You will write to me, yes?"  
  
"No power in the 'verse could stop me."  
  
With Kaylee's smile back in place on her pretty face, Inara allowed herself to smile. "Here." She held out a pair of red silk sandals that she probably could have fit into the bag if she'd tried harder. "See if they fit."  
  
The girl's eyes lit up like the candles on the birthday cakes she'd made for everyone in the year Inara had spent on Serenity. She kicked off the faded bunny slippers she'd picked up on an early trip to Persephone and replaced them with the expensive shoes.  
  
"Oh!" she gasped. Lifting one leg into the air, she pointed and flexed her foot. "They're so shiny!"  
  
Inara nodded. "I want you to have them."  
  
"But…I couldn't. They're too nice. I'll just get oil and…and dirt on 'em and…" She stopped to take another look at the sandals. Sighing, she continued, "I ain't never had somethin' so nice. Well, 'cept for my pink dress."  
  
Guilt struck Inara as it had so often before. She'd grown up surrounded by a million pretty things, expensive things, things that would make Kaylee faint from sheer happiness. And she'd taken them all for granted until the day she met Serenity's crew, and saw the world outside of the Core planets. At least she could comfort herself with the knowledge that she'd never take any of it for granted again.  
  
"Promise me you'll wear them often, without worrying about oil or dirt," she instructed. A slight smile spread on her perfectly painted lips. "Promise me you'll wear them the first time you kiss our bumbling doctor."  
  
'Our bumbling doctor,' she thought. '_Go se_. When will I stop thinking of this place as home?'  
  
From her head to her toes, Kaylee blushed. "Ain't like I ain't been tryin' to make it happen."  
  
"Shy men often turn out to be the best lovers," Inara mused. "And well worth the trouble of bringing them out of their shells."  
  
"Parting advice." The ship's engineer chuckled without smiling. "I'm gonna miss it."  
  
"_Mei-mei_, I'll never be so far that you won't be able to reach me." Inara embraced the girl and fought to restrain her tears when Kaylee hugged her back without restraint. "That I promise you."  
  
She sensed his presence before he interrupted the moment. Even from the hatch that separated what had been her quarters from the rest of the ship, she could smell Malcom Reynolds. He smelled just like Serenity, unrefined but dignified. She couldn't explain it any better. He would never wear any sort of cologne, it being a luxury and therefore unnecessary. But nor did he ever smell bad, even when he was sweaty and rumpled.  
  
She would carry his scent as one of her many favorite memories of her time on board his ship.  
  
"Hey," Mal greeted the women, although Inara got the feeling the greeting was for Kaylee and not her. "We're comin' up on Athens in an hour or so, Wash says. Best start gettin' the Ambassador's stuff to the cargo bay."  
  
He didn't need to tell Kaylee that; he'd already assigned the job to Jayne at breakfast. Mal's reason for bringing it up, as far as Inara could tell, was much more personal. He hadn't called her "Ambassador" in a very long time.  
  
He'd wanted to hurt her just a little bit.  
  
"The trunks go first," Inara told him. "Tell Jayne that if I find any rips in the bags, or anything missing from them, I will make him sorry."  
  
"What are you gonna do? Put out a hit on him? Give him a black mark in your client registry thingyg?" Mal edged closer to her. Had she been less skilled in hiding her emotions, she would have stepped back. He had an annoying way of overwhelming her. "I'll save you the trouble. He's got about four hits out on him already, at last count. And I don't rightly see him as the type to pay for a woman like you."  
  
"A woman like me has her ways, Captain," she replied. If he was going to play the formal game, she could play it right back. And win. "Now, if you don't mind, I have things to do. And until I step onto Athens, this is still my quarters, and I don't recall inviting you in."  
  
Mal gave her the grin he usually reserved for people he was about to shoot. "It's my ship. Always has been."  
  
"Yes. And in two hours, you'll have it back the way you like it. Whore-free."  
  
"Stop it, both of you!" Scowling deeply, Kaylee pushed her way between Inara and Mal. "You're actin' like little kids! Sayin' stuff just to be mean…it's dumb."  
  
Even though he tried to look at the girl sternly, Inara could see his hard expression melt around the edges when he addressed Kaylee. "'Fore we land, I'd like to know if there's anythin' we might be needin' engine-wise. Wouldn't mind having a few spare parts in case somethin' happens later on."  
  
She acquiesced to his order because he gave it and he was right, but she left in order to give them a few minutes alone. When Kaylee was gone, his soft edges hardened up. "So, who knew all the frippery you strung all over my ship would come down so quickly? Least it looks halfway respectable in here now."  
  
"Pardon me, Captain, but I thought I was the respectable element on this ship."  
  
Inara expected a stinging retort, but Mal surprised her when he merely nodded curtly. "Maybe you were. But we can always get another whore."  
  
She looked away; without the lush curtains hiding the shuttle's cockpit, they had a clear view of the stars out the starboard window. "Why are we making this so difficult on ourselves?" she whispered.  
  
"Don't know." Mal folded his arms over his chest, awkwardly. "Just our way, I guess."  
  
"Hurting each other?" Inara turned back to him. "We're supposed to be friends."  
  
His jaw twitched ever so slightly. Without her ability read body language, she never would have noticed it. "We ain't never been friends."  
  
"You're right. Our relationship has never been that simple." She reached up to rub her temple. It ached all of a sudden. "If it was, I wouldn't be…"  
  
"You wouldn't be what?" Mal asked.  
  
"Nothing. Would you like some tea? My china is packed, but we would go to the kitchen."  
  
He thrust out one arm, blocking her path to the door. Her escape route. "You wouldn't be what?" he repeated. "C'mon. I wanna hear you say it."  
  
"Mal." She lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. His handsome face, lined with the worries of a war he'd never really stopped fighting, was blurry through the film of her tears. "Please don't. It's better this way. Leaving things unsaid. It's…"  
  
"Safer." His arm lifted and he ran all ten of his fingers through his hair. "_Hwoon dahn_."  
  
"I appreciate you going out of your way to drop me on Athens," Inara said, composing herself.  
  
Mal cleared his throat. "Not outta our way. We're pickin' up some cargo there."  
  
"I see." She hesitated before holding out her hand. "If I don't have an opportunity to say so later, it's been a dubious pleasure, Captain Reynolds. Good luck with your future endeavors, be they petty or not."  
  
"You too, Ambassador." He took her hand, but rather than shaking it, he brought the back of it up to his lips. "Try to stay outta trouble."  
  
The touch of his mouth against her skin, even so innocuously, made her question her resolve to leave. In order to keep her wits, not to mention be able to speak again, Inara pulled her hand away. "I don't imagine that will be hard. There's not a whole lot of crime in the Core."

* * *

Osiris  
  
To the unknowing eye, Osiris glittered like any one of the stars surrounding it. There seemed to be nothing but wealth and glamour, a world built to offer nothing but opulence for those lucky enough to call it home.  
  
Storage unit #44528 in the main docks did not glitter. It was neither opulent nor glamorous. And although it was a home of sorts, no one who lived there could be considered lucky.  
  
"When's the ship due?" a bulky woman asked her co-worker as they walked between the rows of makeshift pallets. She sensed movement to one side and immediately snapped at the offender with her horsewhip. There was a slight whimper, then silence once again. "We're runnin' low."  
  
"Tagged to dock in the next day or so," the man walking beside her replied. "Talked to a Captain Reynolds. He'll pick the lot up in Athens and bring 'em straight here."  
  
She snorted. "Hope they're a sight better than last week's shipment. Ain't a one of 'em been sold yet."  
  
"Don't worry. We'll be gettin' paid soon enough."  
  
A small, choked sob echoed off the steel walls. The woman frowned. "_Bi zuie_!" she yelled. "Or no one eats in the mornin'."  
  
Not one of the thirty children moved from then on. There wasn't even a single clink from any of the chains that bound them together as they lay on their pallets, dreaming of mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, worlds they'd likely never see again.  
  
The man laughed. "Gotta tell ya, _bao bei._ You got a way with children."

* * *

To Be Continued 


	2. Ch 2

Disclaimer: Characters don't belong to me anymore now then they did before.  
  
Author's Notes: A very special thanks to caltan, Ande, Casual Reader, havenward, Cassie E and Lilyhead for taking the time to read and review; your words were all very appreciated. I hope you, as well as anyone else out there, keep on enjoying the story. Cause I'm having all kinds of fun telling it.

* * *

Precious

by Kristen Elizabeth

* * *

"This is _Serenity_ requesting clearance to dock, over."  
  
"_Serenity_, docking is a go. Welcome to Athens."  
  
Wash leaned back in his chair after flipping a few final switches. "Ain't that nice, Capt'n? They wish us welcome."  
  
"Right friendly." Mal pointed to the steering controls. "You gonna guide us down or just hope she finds her own way?"  
  
The ruddy-cheeked pilot cracked his knuckles and gripped the twin handles. "Bit tetchy there, are we? Couldn't have anythin' to do with what we'll be leavin' here? Or who we'll be leavin' here?"  
  
"Stick to pilotin', Wash. I got no need for a gorram…"  
  
"A gorram what, sir?" His right-hand woman, Zoë , ducked into the cockpit just then, her coolly composed face hinting at something near amusement. Listening to the two most important men in her life quibble was usually good for a chuckle. "You wouldn't be calling my husband names, would you?"  
  
"Of course he would," Wash replied. "But given the day's schedule, I won't hold it against him. You know, it's gonna be dock, load up cargo, say goodbye to…"  
  
Mal turned to go. "_Ye soo_…I ain't got time for this. Zoë , shut him up, will you?"  
  
"Yes, sir." As Mal left, she came up behind Wash, turned his head around, and kissed him hard. "One of these days, I'm not gonna be here to keep him from deckin' you, sweetie."  
  
"Like he'd hold back even for you."  
  
Situating herself against the control panels, Zoë faced the man she'd married. "Not this time, I don't think he would've. He's wound tighter than I ever seen him on account of her leavin'."  
  
"He should just tell her not to go," Wash said, guiding Serenity down through the clouds. "Then they could get with the smoochin' and we'd all be a big, happy family again."  
  
She shook her head. "If only it were that easy."  
  
"Was for us," he reminded her.  
  
"Funny. I remember there bein' shoutin' and cryin' and beggin'." She paused. "But I married you, anyways."  
  
"_Fay-fay d'pian_, I never begged."  
  
"You begged."  
  
Wash frowned as he thought back. "But in a charming way! Mal's not even tryin' to keep her from goin'."  
  
"He does what he thinks is best. Always has, always will."  
  
"Yeah. And while he's doin' that, we all get the brunt of his sexual frustrations." Her husband bumped her thigh with his elbow. "Speakin' of…"  
  
She stood up. "Right. No distracting the genius pilot while he's at work." Zoë made sure he got an eyeful of her backside as she left. "Bring 'er in safe, honey."

* * *

Mal waited with much impatience for the cargo bay door to lower. As it did, a draft of fresh air rushed past him. He breathed deeply. As much as he loved his ship and the sky she flew in, it was good to go planet-side for a couple of hours every now and then. The sun beating down, the scent of grass and dirt, the faces of people other than the eight who shared Serenity with him…there was something to be said for returning to what passed for civilization.  
  
The dust kicked up from their landing began to settle and he looked around at the docks of Athens. He and Zoë were to pick up the cargo at a nearby warehouse that shouldn't be too hard to find, he figured. That was all they'd been told. It was probably best not to know absolutely everything about their latest job, but given their luck in the past, Mal wasn't terribly comfortable not knowing anything at all.  
  
Kaylee came up behind him, her hair pulled into twin pigtails and her face smudge-free. "We gonna be takin' on anyone, Capt'n?"  
  
"And why would we be doin' that? You got a mind to see some stranger recognizin' our runaway siblings and reportin' them?"  
  
She bit her lip. "I wasn't thinkin'. I just thought since Inara's leavin' that we'd need the extra coin."  
  
At the mention of her name in connection with her imminent departure, Mal's expression grew dark. "Did just fine before she joined up, didn't we?" He softened his words with an added, "_Mei-mei_, I'm thinkin' you'll be surprised how little things change without her around."  
  
Kaylee stared at his profile. Her scrutiny almost made him squirm; she was one of the only people in the 'verse whose opinion of him mattered. "_Jien tah-duh gway._ Everythin's gonna change, sir. I'm thinkin' you got no idea how much she matters 'round here."  
  
The problem, he very nearly told her, was that he was entirely too aware of how much Inara mattered.  
  
He swallowed. "Get on now, little Kaylee. Got work to do."  
  
"Yes sir." But before she let him off the hook entirely, she put a hand on his arm. "Just get back 'fore she leaves. So you can say goodbye."  
  
Mal's only response was to clear his throat. Fortunately, Zoë and Jayne's entrance prevented Kaylee from pressing the issue.  
  
Twirling one of his more discreet guns around his index finger by its trigger, Jayne came up on Mal's left side. "What're we standin' 'round here waitin' for?"  
  
"You," Mal replied curtly. He looked at his second-in-command. "We get the cargo and get goin'. Not lookin' for any complications."  
  
"I'll do my best, sir," Zoë nodded, taking on the responsibility as if it was up to her to control the fates themselves. He shot her an exasperated look. "Jayne," she addressed the bigger man. "Try to be just a little bit less obvious, _dong ma_?"  
  
Confused, he frowned and looked at his gun. "This ain't obvious." She arched a single eyebrow. Grumbling under his breath, Jayne tucked the weapon into the holster at his hip.  
  
Mal started down the ramp created by the cargo bay door. "Let's get this day over with."

* * *

With the last of her things packed and ready to be taken off of _Serenity_ with the help of the bellhops from the only reputable hotel Athens boasted, Inara had nothing to do but to say her own private goodbyes to the ship that had been her home over a year. She walked slowly, taking her time to commit every nook and cranny to memory. Inara passed through the crew quarters, pausing to smile the shiny, hand-painted sign over Kaylee's door. How she'd miss the bubbly girl's flowers and frills.  
  
Mal's room was just next to Kaylee's, but she didn't linger long at his door. Part of her wanted to enter his lair, as if surrounding herself with his things could give her a better understanding of the man. But if she hadn't gained any insight into Mal after everything they'd been through, she probably wasn't going to start learning in her last moments on his ship.  
  
She avoided the infirmary, the site of so many horribly anxious moments. Moments when she'd witnessed one of her friends bleeding or lying unconscious. Moments when he'd been so close to death that she was convinced he'd never open his eyes again. But he always had. Mal was nothing if not resilient.  
  
In the kitchen, Inara very nearly broke down into tears. The infirmary held no good memories; the kitchen held nothing but. If she closed her eyes, she could almost hear echoes of laughter, interspersed with funny stories, risqué jokes and the sounds of chewing. It wasn't much to look at, but there was warmth within the room that she'd never found anywhere else. Whenever she wanted to return to _Serenity_, all she would have to do was remember the kitchen.  
  
The time of her departure was growing close, so Inara quickly made her way through the passenger quarters and emerged into the vastness of the cargo bay. From the balcony, she could see the little misshaped family gathered to wish her farewell. The cargo must have already been acquired and stored, as Zoë and Jayne were present.  
  
Mal, however, was not.  
  
Lifting the beaded hem of her green and gold skirt, Inara descended the rusty stairs for what she assumed would be the last time. When she reached the floor, she fixed her mouth in a perfect, albeit, fake smile.  
  
"I suppose it's time for the dreaded goodbyes."  
  
Heads turned, and she saw more than few mournful expressions. Even Jayne looked mildly less vacant than usual. In fact, the only person who didn't seem particularly bothered was River. The girl studied her with unusual composure; Inara had the unsettling feeling she was being scanned in more ways than one.  
  
Wash approached her first, and she was grateful for that, as it meant she didn't have to choose anyone to go first. He hugged her with his entire lanky frame and kissed her cheek. Instantly, she regretted not taking the time to get to know this man better. He was an open book, easy to read and even easier to decipher, but never boring.  
  
"Keep in touch," he told her, drawing back. "'Cause we're gonna miss you."  
  
She nodded tightly, reining in her tears. "_Shr ah_."  
  
Zoë followed her husband. For a moment, Inara wasn't sure whether or not the formidable woman would embrace her, but she did, although very briefly. "You'll always have a place on _Serenity_."  
  
"_Xie-xie_," Inara thanked her.  
  
Shepherd Book took both of her hands in his, and she was sure he could feel them shaking. "I learned long ago that people cannot be stereotyped," the older man began. "But being human, I forgot over time. Thank you for reminding me."  
  
"I feel the same." She gave him a hug, affording herself the opportunity to speak in his ear. "Take care of him," she whispered. "His heart has need of healing."  
  
Book didn't have to ask whom she was talking about; he merely nodded solemnly.  
  
Simon came next, with River at his side. Inara embraced him freely. Out of everyone on the ship, she'd found the most common ground with the young doctor, having grown up in his world. "_Jia you_," she said, encouraging him. "She will get better."  
  
After glancing at his sister, he smiled hesitantly. "Thank you. Take care of yourself."  
  
She moved to River, but before she could hug her, the girl locked her intense stare on Inara. "The ship won't fly any faster without your weight on board." At Inara's puzzled look, River continued, "You're breaking his wings."  
  
"Sweetie." Inara held the girl close for a moment. "I think they were already broken."  
  
How to say goodbye to Jayne was something she hadn't spent much time pondering. So when he stepped forward and held out his big hand to her, she was quite surprised.  
  
"I ain't ever known a Companion before," he told her. "Now I figure I ain't ever gonna meet a better one. I mean…you know…personal-like. Not professionally."  
  
Instead of taking his hand, Inara rose up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Jayne." If she hadn't seen in herself, she wouldn't have believed him capable of blushing.  
  
As soon as she saw Kaylee's face, Inara knew she had best get their goodbye over with as quickly as possible, before her composure was entirely lost. She merely wrapped the girl in a warm embrace, rocking her ever so slightly as she cried.  
  
"I feel like I ain't never gonna see you again," Kaylee sobbed.  
  
Inara rested her cheek on the soft bed of her hair. "You will," she promised. "Be strong, _mei-mei_."  
  
Kaylee hiccupped. "You too," she said, rubbing at her tears. "Don't go forgettin' 'bout us."  
  
A true smile graced Inara's lips. "I couldn't even if I wanted to." She glanced at the open cargo bay door as if he'd come striding into the ship at any moment.  
  
"He's still out," Zoë answered her unspoken question. "There was a problem with the cargo. But he'll be back…if you can wait."  
  
Inara shook her head. "It's all right. We've already said our goodbyes." She pulled the silken shawl that wound through her slender arms up over the top of her head, creating a mantle and took one last look at the seven familiar faces.  
  
"_Tseye jen_," she said, choking on the words. "Until we meet again."  
  
Turning to go, she walked straight into Mal.  
  
"Mal…" She blinked and looked up at him. The look of fury on his face caused her to take a step back. "You didn't have to come back just to…"  
  
He bypassed her entirely and thundered across the bay until he reached his first mate. "Zoë."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Looks like we're gonna be turnin' this place into a gorram nursery after all."  
  
She nodded gravely. "I'll start gettin' ready."  
  
Even through her tears, Kaylee's interest was suddenly peaked. "What's goin' on, Capt'n?"  
  
Jayne answered her gruffly. "Cargo's a _luh-suh_ bunch of kids. 'Cause that's just what we need 'round here. More stuff underfoot." He gave River a pointed look.  
  
"Kids?" Book frowned, as he often did when he sensed a less than pious mission ahead of them. "How is it that children are cargo?"  
  
"The job is to take a group of orphans to Osiris where their adoptive parents are waiting for them," Zoë explained. "It's perfectly legal. The Captain just doesn't like the idea of having children on board. It's a common theme around here." Wash tried to take her hand at this, but she crossed her arms over her chest.  
  
Simon's face paled. "We're going to Osiris?"  
  
"It's pretty of us!" Kaylee said, smiling. "Gettin' those kids to new lives and all."  
  
"Pretty," Jayne snorted. "Pretty gorram boring. Legal and all."  
  
Coming of the shell-shock his sudden appearance and even more sudden dismissal had sent her into, Inara spoke up. "Legal…if it's true."  
  
Mal shot her a glare. "If what's true?"  
  
She took a breath. "Quite frankly, childless couples in the Core do not adopt orphans from the Border planets."  
  
"Why not?" Wash asked.  
  
"Why should they when they have the money for fertilization treatments and artificial life-production?" Simon replied. "Can we get back to the part where we're going to Osiris?"  
  
"What are you sayin'?" Mal demanded, ignoring Simon.  
  
"She's saying…" Book folded his hands neatly in front of him. "You likely just agreed to transport a group of child-slaves."  
  
_Serenity's_ captain closed his eyes, his fists balling up so hard that his knuckles turned white. "_Liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze fuh ur-tze_…why can't anything ever be simple?!"  
  
"We'll just return the money, sir," Zoë said. "Walk away from the deal and no harm done."  
  
"Can't do it," Mal snapped. "Half of it's already gone to fuel."  
  
Jayne scratched his temple. "I ain't crazy 'bout kids, but somethin' 'bout this don't settle right with me."  
  
"That's because you have a heart, son. Somewhere really, really buried." Book looked at Mal. "Do you, Captain Reynolds?"  
  
Kaylee piped up to defend him. "He ain't anywhere near heartless! Tell him, sir. Tell him you ain't gonna do the job."  
  
"We're gonna do it," Mal said between his teeth.  
  
Inara whipped around, her dark hair flying. "You can't be serious! Mal…"  
  
He leveled her with a look. "You ain't part of this crew no more, so it don't concern you none." His words were sharp and they cut deep.  
  
Wash raised his hand. "I know we're not gonna vote on this or anything, but can I just say that I didn't sign up to help put kids in chains."  
  
"Noted."  
  
"If you go ahead with this, you are beyond redemption," Book said.  
  
Mal chuckled bitterly. "Seem to recall there bein' one or two slaves in that good book of yours, Shepherd."  
  
"Man has grown since then."  
  
"Not all that much." He pointed to Zoë. "Start gatherin' up all the blankets and pillows you can. Got no idea how many kids we're getting, but I ain't gonna have 'em uncomfortable the whole trip."  
  
Inara's eyes narrowed. "Why not? They might as well get used to it."  
  
"Weren't you leavin'?"  
  
She stared at him, searching for the good she'd so often seen just below his rough façade. "I was," she eventually replied. "But not now."  
  
Caught off guard, Mal shook his head slightly. "_Shumma_?"  
  
"I'm not going anywhere just yet, Malcolm Reynolds." Inara pushed her shawl back, letting it catch on her arms again. "If you're determined to go against everything human and decent, I am going to stay right here and watch you do it."  
  
"Suit yourself," he said after a long pause. "Let's get movin', people. I wanna see this place fit for livin' in half an hour."  
  
With much reluctance, fueled only by their desire to stay aboard _Serenity_, the crew dispersed to follow the captain's order. Simon looked around at them as they all parted ways.  
  
"Osiris?" he pleaded one more time. "Has anyone heard of the proverbial lion's den?"  
  
River danced around him, oblivious to the very real danger into which they were both about to be thrust. "Babies are coming, Simon," she sang with much glee. "We'll be mommies!"  
  
He closed his eyes, overwhelmed all of a sudden. "Oh yes. This is going to turn out just wonderfully."

* * *

To Be Continued 


	3. Ch 3

Disclaimer: Characters still don't belong to me. I just like playing with them.  
  
Author's Notes: Thanks to Nautica7mk, Ande, havenward, MaidM and Rowe1 for reviewing; you made me smile. As for Mal's actions which seem to be raising several eyebrows...it's Mal. What more needs to be said? I hope everyone who might be reading this enjoys this next chapter. I wanted to get it out soon as a hurricane is bearing down on my part of Florida, which might delay my internet activities during the week. Take care!

* * *

Precious

by Kristen Elizabeth

* * *

What had she been thinking?  
  
Seated in a mismatched kitchen chair, Inara rested her forehead on her arm, cursing under her breath. She'd made a huge mistake. In a moment of heightened emotion, she'd forgotten all of her plans for the future and reasons for leaving, and declared she was staying on _Serenity_.  
  
It was entirely Mal's fault.  
  
As if summoned, the man in question ducked into the kitchen just then. She shot up and aligned her back in the perfectly balanced posture of the Companion, unable to overcome years of training.  
  
He seemed surprised to see her, as if he'd already acclimated himself to the idea of her absence. Inara felt his eyes rake over her. Then, just as he had in the cargo bay, he looked beyond her, dismissing her as he would a stranger.  
  
Mal had already passed her chair on his way across the room before she worked up the nerve to address him. "Do you intend to ignore me for the entire journey to Osiris?"  
  
He stopped. She couldn't see him as she refused to turn around in her seat, but she could sense his frustration. "Look, I got a whole passel of little ones 'bout to board my boat. If you're plannin' on stayin' for whatever reason, you can either help out or keep out."  
  
"I do plan to help," Inara informed him. "I've always gotten on well with children."  
  
"Yeah, well, that makes one of us." Mal came around the table with a boyish scowl. "Kids got smudgy hands and loud voices. They run all over, you gotta watch 'em so's they don't kill themselves. And some of 'em ain't all potty-trained."  
  
She hid a smile. "_Serenity_ has certainly survived worse." A few seconds passed. "But you've never done worse."  
  
The momentary truce died a swift death at this. Mal's scowl turned into a glare. "Not now."  
  
Inara jumped to her feet. "They're children, Mal! They're not indentured and they're not criminal. But even if they were, no one deserves the hell you're delivering them into."  
  
"I'm only gonna say this once." He leaned across the table until his face was only inches away from hers. "I captain this boat. I say what happens on it."  
  
"Just when I think I have you figured out," she whispered, repeating words she'd told him once before, but under much different circumstances.  
  
"Sir." Zoë shattered the silence that stretched between them. "They're here."  
  
Something flickered in the ocean depths of Mal's eyes. Something that told Inara to hold her tongue further, but not from fear of him. Mal, she realized in that instant, was smarting from the very idea of what they were about to do.  
  
But he was going to do it anyway.  
  
"You comin'?" he asked Inara. "Bein' so good with kids 'n all."  
  
She gave the back of his head a defiant stare all the way to the cargo bay. Down below, Kaylee and Book herded a throng of approximately thirty children up the ramp. Although none of them appeared to be younger than five or six, they were all skin and bones, dressed in little more than glorified rags.  
  
One child, a little girl with stringy brown hair, looked up at them with wide, scared eyes. She hugged a rag doll to her chest, but carried nothing else. Her feet were bare and her dirty dress hung off her emaciated shoulder.  
  
Inara picked up her skirts and brushed past Mal, charging down the stairs like a woman possessed. She didn't really have a plan, but if she didn't do something, she was quite afraid that her heart would stop beating.  
  
Book stopped her before she could throw her arms around the girl. "Best not to get attached," he told her in a low voice.  
  
"But…" The children were staring at her as though she was a goddess descended from some magical island. Her throat constricted.  
  
"Help me get them settled in, will you?"  
  
Inara nodded at the Shepherd before glancing over her shoulder. Mal still stood on the rusty step, surveying the scene. Her eyes narrowed briefly, but right then was not the time to dwell on him.  
  
She looked down at the child with the rag doll. Next to her was an older boy with a cap of black hair. Next to him, a flame-haired girl on the edge of young womanhood. And then a blonde boy with a missing front tooth. And so on and so on. Inara pressed a hand to her throat.  
  
Kaylee took over where she could not. "Does anyone need to go to the bathroom?" she asked the children. Almost every single one of them nodded. "This here's Shepherd Book. All boys, go with him. Girls, come with me."  
  
The children were apparently used to receiving orders and separated into the proper groups without much confusion. Inara watched them start up the stairs, stopping when they spotted Mal looming over them.  
  
"Everyone, say hi to Captain Reynolds," Kaylee told the children. "Captain…" She gave him a very pointed look. "Say hi."  
  
Mal cleared his throat. "Welcome. I got some rules." Inara sighed. Kaylee opened her mouth to protest, but he went on.  
  
"First off, no runnin' 'round my boat. Stay where you're put and we'll get along just fine. If you need somethin', ask for it. Ain't nobody gonna be put out to help you." He paused, as if about to say something more.  
  
Before he could, a boy of about twelve raised his hand. "Captain, sir?"  
  
"_Xing_?"  
  
"I kinda speak for everyone 'cause most of 'em ain't old enough to do it on their own." The boy looked up at Mal. "Thank you for takin' us to our new families. We've all been waitin' a long time for this."  
  
Mal's Adam's apple bobbed up and down; he glanced away, his fist curling around the balcony railing. Inara watched him through watery eyes. He forced himself to look down at the boy, but he couldn't seem to speak.  
  
Inara stepped forward, wrapping an arm around the boy's too-skinny shoulders. "Go on now," she encouraged him. "Go with the Shepherd and then we'll all have a little supper, how does that sound?"  
  
The children's eyes lit up at the prospect; they seemed even more eager after that to follow Book and Kaylee to the facilities.  
  
When the cargo bay was empty again, and it was just her and Mal, Inara stormed back up the stairs, mindless of her expensive skirts. She came to a halt just a step below him. "There's your cargo, Mal." She side-stepped him without another glance. "May it bring you great profit."

* * *

It wasn't all that much different to make supper for forty than it was to make it for ten or so, Kaylee discovered. Despite _Serenity's_ meager food stores, she was able to make a great pot of stew, with a little help from Book's herbs. It was mostly protein cubes and flash-frozen vegetables that had expired, but the children gobbled it down within minutes.  
  
Wash sat at the wooden table, dipping into his own dinner occasionally as he watched the children sitting cross-legged in neat rows at the far end of the kitchen. Kaylee walked between them, refilling their cups.  
  
"Kids eat a lot," he stated suddenly.  
  
Beside him, Zoë pushed her spoon through her stew. "Yes, they do."  
  
"I mean a lot. Look at 'em go," he marveled. When his wife didn't reply, Wash nudged her ribs gently. "_Bao bei_?"  
  
"The baby subject's been closed for a while." She stood up. "Ain't no need to make up new excuses." Zoë took her bowl over to Kaylee, offering her untouched stew to the children.  
  
Wash blinked as she left the kitchen without another word to anyone. "What did I say?"  
  
Hunched over his supper, Jayne shrugged his massive shoulders. "Don't she want you to knock her up, or somethin'?" He drained his bowl. "Just plant one and she'll get off your gorram back."  
  
"Kindly never talk about my wife's reproductive organs again."  
  
Simon stared at Jayne. "Do you have to work to be as appalling as you are, or does it come naturally?"  
  
"A little boy who saw too much," River said, staring at the ceiling. "Life comes in too many big pieces and you stop caring for manners." She looked at her brother with a simple smile. "May I be excused?" After a moment without any reaction, she slipped away from the table and joined the children on the floor.  
  
Jayne stood, his lip curling up in disgust, mixed with just a tinge of fear. "Got my fill of creepy kids. Knock if I'm needed." He left, heading for his bunk.  
  
"Doc," Wash addressed Simon once they were alone. "You're a doc."  
  
"Er…yes."  
  
"Tell me 'bout babies bein' born. I wanna know…is it all mess like people say? Can you have sex before? How 'bout after?"  
  
Overwhelmed, Simon shot to his feet. "I really should examine some of the children. They look sickly."  
  
Wash scratched the back of his head as Simon headed to the infirmary to retrieve some supplies. "New excuse. Kids make everyone crazier."  
  
Kaylee approached the table with the big pot in one hand and a ladle in the other. "You seen Mal or Inara?" she asked him.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"I was tryin' to save some dinner, but the kids are so hungry." Her teeth tugged at her lower lip. "It's like they ain't eaten in days."  
  
Wash frowned. "Maybe they haven't."  
  
"You don't really think Capt'n's gonna give 'em to…" She lowered her voice. "…slavers, do you?"  
  
"_Tyen shuh duh._ You'd think a body could figure another man out after livin' and workin' with him for a couple of years." He shook his head. "Not Mal. He's one great big surprise that keeps on surprisin'."  
  
Kaylee glanced back at the children. River was teaching them a little song with accompanying hand claps. "I'm tryin' not to get attached, but they're all so sweet. Can't help it." She looked back at him. "When you and Zoë have a baby, I'm gonna be a goner."  
  
Wash attempted a smile. "No fear, _mei-mei_. Don't see that happenin' for a while." His expression soured. "She'd have to start talkin' to me again."

* * *

Mal shook his hands over the pull-out sink to dry them. It was late, several hours after dinner, and probably safe for him to come out and scout for food.  
  
True, he had been hiding in his bunk ever since his awkward encounter with the children, and it was a mite shameful, but better than being stopped in his tracks by one of their misguided, grateful stares.  
  
He climbed up the ladder and came out into the main thoroughfare. His ship was serene once again as the children had been put to bed in the hastily-assembled cargo-bay camp. Kaylee was probably staying the night there with them. Book, too, more than likely. Perhaps even Inara was deigning to sleep on the hard ground, rather than her piles of silken pillows and satin sheets, which she'd probably already reassembled just to tick him off.  
  
Thinking about Inara's bed, or more specifically Inara in her bed, had Mal tripping at the entrance to the kitchen. He caught himself just in time to keep from falling on his face.  
  
"Careful," Simon said, looking up from the cup of tea he was pouring. "I'm running low on weaves."  
  
"Good thing we're headin' to Osiris." Once his pride was gathered, Mal started searching through various drawers and cabinets for anything edible. "You can stock up."  
  
"About that…do you really think this is the best possible plan?"  
  
Slamming one drawer shut, Mal rounded on the young doctor. "Had just 'bout enough of bein' questioned on my own boat. We do the job, we get the money and we keep on flyin' and maybe even eatin'."  
  
"I'm not questioning your decision to take this mission," Simon corrected him. "Although I find it abhorrent in every possible way, it's not my primary concern right now."  
  
"Let me guess." Upon locating a packaged protein bar, Mal took a big bite. "Your sister."  
  
The younger man set down his cup. "The reason I chose your ship, Captain, was that you were heading away from the Core and it didn't seem like you had any plans to go back in the future. I need to keep River as far away from the Academy as possible, because if the _niao se dub doo gway_ find her, they will take her and play with her brain even more. And this time, the damage would likely be irreversible. If it's not already."  
  
"Nice speech. But Osiris is where our money's at."  
  
"And what are we supposed to do while you're on planet, selling children to the highest bidder?"  
  
Mal threw aside the bar's silver wrapper. "You could always drop in on the folks."  
  
A moment passed before Simon shook his head. "Kaylee keeps trying to defend your actions, but I wonder how long she'll be able to. It's putting a strain on her kindness." He picked up his drink. "And that's saying something."  
  
He didn't want the doctor's comments to sink in, but they did, through the tiny cracks in his painstakingly-established walls. After Simon had departed, Mal stood in the silent kitchen for a long time. His thoughts were a jumbled mass, but one thing seemed clear. If he kept avoiding the children, he was no better than the people who would be buying them.  
  
The cargo bay was quieter than he'd imagined it would be while housing a large group of children. Their pallets were spread out just beneath the stairs and railings, and a few artificial lanterns provided light for any child who might still fear the dark. In the eerie glow, Mal could see Kaylee and River sprawled out amongst the children, each girl sleeping soundly. Book had nodded off in a chair nearby, his Bible spread out over his chest. It could have been a homey scene, if not for the feeling of foreboding that hung in the air.  
  
Someone started humming just then, and Mal searched the semi-darkness for the source of the throaty tune. He should have guessed. It was Inara.  
  
She sat upright against a stack of containers, not seeming to notice or care about their filthy state. Her eyes were closed as her low humming turned into whispered words to a song he'd never heard. Was it sung to her as a child, or had she learned it on her own for the rare lonely night when the Companion had no companionship?  
  
But while her song intrigued him, it wasn't what had Mal staring at her as though he'd never seen her before. She had four or five children gathered around her, using her silk skirts as bedding, her body as pillows. Her arms cradled two of the smaller ones against her soft chest. She sang to them in their sleep without a thought for her own comfort.  
  
Mal turned away from the sight, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. He'd seen her as a whore, a temptress, a business partner, a friend, an object of desire, a worthy adversary. But until that moment, he'd never thought of her as a woman.  
  
It wouldn't change anything, he decided. Even if it changed everything. The plan was outlined and engaged. Until it was all over, for better or for worse, none of them could know the truth. Least of all her.  
  
With visions of chained children moving to the haunting melody of Inara's song, Mal found no sleep that night.

* * *

To Be Continued 


	4. Ch 4

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Joss Whedon and his peeps, not me.  
  
Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay. Thanks for reading and reviewing in the past, and I hope you continue to in the future;) As of this update, 181 days until "Serenity" arrives in theatres!!

* * *

Precious

by Kristen Elizabeth

* * *

In _Serenity's_ infirmary, Simon finished wrapping a weave around a skinned knee and smiled at the boy who'd sustained the injury while racing up and down the cargo bay.  
  
"Take better care next time," he told the child. "You only get two knees, after all."  
  
The boy nodded and smiled shyly. "_Xie-xie_, Dr. Tam."  
  
Simon froze momentarily. He wasn't entirely comfortable with the fact that the children knew his last name and his profession and his whereabouts and that he had a sister who was slightly wacky. If they talked to the wrong person and revealed even a couple of these facts, it would only be a matter of time before he and River were caught.  
  
"You're welcome," he managed to reply as the boy slipped off the exam table and scampered towards the door, heedless of the injury that had him in tears earlier. He nearly ran into Kaylee as she came in.  
  
"Whoa there, partner," she stilled the child with a hand to his bony shoulder. "Are we forgettin' how we got that busted knee?"  
  
"Sorry, Miss Kaylee."  
  
Serenity's mechanic winked at him. "Get on outta here. Careful-like!" Reducing his speed by, at most, a third, the boy ran off. Kaylee shot Simon a happy grin. "I have a feelin' you'll be seein' Jake again 'fore long."  
  
"Jake." He frowned. "Oh, yes. The boy."  
  
Kaylee approached him. "You didn't know his name, did ya?" Playing off Simon's guilty look, she wagged a finger at him. "Bad doctor."  
  
"I've tended to so many little injuries in the past week." Simon sighed. "I never knew children were on such a mission to hurt themselves."  
  
"They're all cooped up. Kids get crazy. When I was little, I 'bout drove my parents to an early grave on rainy days when I couldn't get outside." She thought for a moment. "One time, I re-routed our entire plumbin' system for maximum water flow. They wouldn't have minded, 'cept I kinda put some interestin' holes in walls meant for supportin'."  
  
Simon laughed, picturing a tiny version of Kaylee knocking holes into support walls. "Perhaps River and I were aberrations. We enjoyed staying in and reading on sunny days."  
  
A moment hung between them, amiable, but electrically charged. Finally, Simon cleared his throat. "Did you need something in here?"  
  
Crestfallen, but determined not to show it, Kaylee was forced to shake her head. "Just came to tell you we're comin' up on Osiris. Been flyin' under the radar, but Capt'n still wants you and River playin' it low-key, 'specially once we land."  
  
"Trust me, I intend to." His forehead pulled into a frown. "I'm not enough of a _nyen ching-duh_ to question the captain anymore than I already have, but I have to confess, this entire mission of ours has kept me from sleeping well lately. For more than one reason."  
  
Kaylee hesitated, reluctant to speak against Mal, but unwilling to lie. "I figure he's got somethin' up his sleeve. Ain't no one in the 'verse hates slavin' more than our Capt'n."  
  
Simon's handsome face paled suddenly. "You don't…you don't imagine he'd come up with some sort of plot to take out whoever is waiting on this cargo…these children, by fooling them into believing he really is delivering them? Do you?"  
  
"Now that ya mention it…it does sorta sound like a Mal-plan," she admitted.  
  
"Half-baked with a high potential to fail miserably and end in pain and/or death." Simon swore sharply. "Perfect. Because what we really need is the possibility of drawing the Alliance's attention while we're deep in the Core."  
  
Simply by putting her hand on his rolled-up sleeve, Kaylee soothed him. "It'll be okay, Simon. He ain't gonna put you or River in any danger." She thought for a moment. "On purpose."  
  
"Forgive me if I feel less than comforted." But he did feel comfortable, with her so near that he could smell the berry scent of her hair wash. "I'm sorry. I'm not good company right now."  
  
"You don't always gotta be good company. I'll still talk to ya, even if you're…"  
  
Mal's voice cut her off as it boomed through the com system. "Kaylee. Need ya in the cargo bay."  
  
She shot Simon an apologetic smile. "We'll talk later?" He nodded and she left, an extra bounce in her step.  
  
He allowed himself one more curse word before he left the infirmary and headed back to the passenger quarters. He would need to get River ready for the next few days. And while he wasn't entirely sure how to prepare his brain-damaged, yet possibly psychic sister for their sudden return to Osiris, sedating her for the entire layover wasn't an unthinkable solution.

* * *

Wash was agitated, and not even his dinosaurs could calm him. For over a week, he'd been sleeping on the floor of the bunk he shared with Zoë and it was starting to wear on him.  
  
She hadn't ordered him out of their bed, so much as she'd made it very clear through body language that he would not be welcome there. One of the first lessons he'd learned in his marriage was argue with his wife only when he absolutely knew he was in the right. And this time, he got the distinct feeling he wasn't.  
  
Picking up the triceratops, Wash leaned back in his chair. He usually felt comforted by the canopy of stars that hung over him. But when he looked out the windows, searching for that calm, all he felt was overwhelming emptiness. _Alone_, he thought. _I'm all alone_.  
  
"What does she want from me?" he asked the dinosaur. "Well, a baby, yeah. But why's it so damn important to her now? We'll have 'em sooner or later. Do you see this face?" He pointed at his cheek. "This face needs to be immortalized and carried on for generations."  
  
The triceratops said nothing.  
  
Wash set it back down between the brachiosaurus and the T-rex, and pushed his fingers through his hair, stopping to scratch his scalp. "'Sides." He snorted softly. "What kinda dad would I make, anyways?"  
  
His arms dropped back down to his sides, but brushed against something distinctly flesh-like. Wash jumped out of his chair, spun around and confronted a little girl who had snuck up behind him. She was by herself, unaccompanied by either Kaylee or Inara. With one finger in her mouth and a guilty look spread on her face, she wasn't exactly what he'd expected.  
  
"What are you doin' here?" he demanded, still trying to catch his breath from the sudden rush of adrenaline.  
  
"I got lost," the girl whispered.  
  
"You're not supposed to be up here, _guai_." She looked down at her bare feet and sniffed. Wash cursed himself under his breath. "Come on. I'll walk you back."  
  
But the child was already lost to her tears. "I want my Ma-ma!"  
  
He was at a loss. Zoë only cried her in sleep, and even that only happened once in a blue moon. Wash knew how to stop those tears. But using that method with a child was illegal and more importantly, repugnant and wrong. He wiped his hands on the front of his colorfully printed shirt and reached out to pat the little girl's shoulder.  
  
"_Mei guan xi_," Wash said, not entirely sure if the words were comfort enough. But the girl at least looked up at him. "What's your name?"  
  
She sniffed again; her nose was runny. Where was Kaylee when you needed her? Runny noses were definitely her department. "Merian."  
  
"I'm Wash, Merian." He held out his hand. In a display of youthful carelessness, she ran her own hand across her nose before putting it in his. He tried not to recoil. Worse fluids came out of his body on a daily basis. The girl's hand was cold and so frail he was almost afraid he might break it if he held on any longer. "It's nice to meet you."  
  
"Nice to meet you," she echoed, stumbling over the words like one who didn't really understand them. She shivered just then, so intensely that her entire body shook.  
  
Without thinking, Wash left her side and retrieved the extra blanket he kept on the bridge. He sat down in his chair and draped it around her skinny frame. "Better?" She nodded. A moment passed. "You know, I bet Miss Kaylee's lookin' for you by now."  
  
"Cargo bay's cold," Merian said. "Can I stay here?"  
  
Wash paled slightly. He could feel invisible threads already beginning to connect him to the little girl. He couldn't encourage them. He couldn't let her get dependent on him. It only led to inevitable heartache. Maybe she wouldn't understand it as such when he ended up letting her down, but it would be there. Another person he'd let down.  
  
But something happened when he looked at Merian as she stared up at him, silently pleading for a bit of human affection. Maybe it was her eyes; they were so light against her mocha-colored skin. So much like what he imagined a child of his might look like, with Zoë as its mother.  
  
Still, he wished he could have stopped himself from picking the girl up and setting her on his knee.  
  
"So, Merian. You ever heard of a dinosaur?"  
  
Twenty minutes later, he was so caught up in acting out an epic battle between the T-rex and the stegosaurus that he didn't even notice when his wife stepped into the room. Wash kept up the fight, encouraged by Merian's giggles.  
  
Zoë watched for a few moments before she left on silent feet. It was far too easy, and it hurt her heart far more than she'd anticipated, to imagine that the child was their own daughter.

* * *

"Mal, the kids gotta go."  
  
Serenity's captain made the mistake of taking a sip of coffee at the same time he looked over at the doorway into the kitchen. Jayne stood there, chest puffed up in righteous fury, probably from the fact that his hair…what there was of it…had several tiny pink bows in it.  
  
Coffee sprayed across the table.  
  
"Ain't funny," Jayne growled. "Man outta be able to close his eyes for more than three seconds, and not hafta worry 'bout wakin' up looking like a gorram doll!"  
  
Mal coughed and cleared his throat. "And here I thought you got all pretty just for me."  
  
"I'll sic Vera on you, Mal. Swear to god I will." He stomped over to the table, pulling the bows out with as much force as possible. Every now and then, he'd wince in pain. "We better be landin' and sellin' 'em off soon."  
  
All traces of amusement died on the captain's face. "We're not sellin' anyone."  
  
"Well, we're gettin' paid, ain't we?"  
  
His eyes narrowed. "You'll get your coin, Jayne."  
  
"Better be," he grumbled. "For all my pain and sufferin'." A moment passed. "Bet I know who gave 'em all this frippery. Inara." Jayne scowled. "She ain't hardly left the cargo bay since they got here. Never knew a whore to be so mother-like."  
  
Mal took a sip of coffee, staring into space over the metal rim of the cup. "Inara doesn't wear pink. I'd look more towards the engine room, if you're lookin' to blame someone."  
  
"_Tadame_," Jayne cursed. "I can't yell at Kaylee. Ain't no way. She knows that, too."  
  
Setting aside his now-cold drink, Mal stood up. "How 'bout next time you're feelin' sleepy, you make it to your bunk, 'stead of passin' out in Kaylee's hammock? She might not feel the need to have you decorated." He started for the door. "Oh, and if I ever hear you call Inara a whore again…"  
  
He didn't finish his threat. He didn't need to.

* * *

Inara had been brushing hair for nearly an hour. Every little girl wanted her hair brushed by the lovely woman one older child had described as a "fairy princess."  
  
_Princess_, Inara thought as she pulled her expensive comb through a head of brown curls, thinned by lack of proper nutrition. _Hardly_.  
  
"There you go," she told the child sitting in front of her.  
  
"_Xie-xie_, Miss Inara."  
  
With some effort, as her legs had fallen asleep during the long time she had been sitting on her knees, Inara stood. Her silk brocade skirt was hopelessly wrinkled, but the smiles on the girls' faces as they admired themselves in her jade hand mirror made the garment a worthwhile casualty.  
  
Pins and needles pounded her feet, but she still tried to take a step forward, only to find that they weren't going to support her. She stumbled and fell into a pair of strong arms.  
  
"Careful," Mal said. His heart beat against her ear and she quickly pulled back. Pulled away from his intoxicating warmth. "Wouldn't want to break somethin'."  
  
She raised her chin to look him in the eye. She was always surprised how many colors she could see there, all depending on what sort of mood he was in. "I only tripped."  
  
"And if I hadn't been here, you would've landed smack on that valuable face you got. But maybe you got insurance on that. Through the Guild?" He smirked. "'Case some client gets a bit too rowdy?"  
  
Inara jerked out of his grip. "Not in front of the children, Mal," she hissed.  
  
"True, true. Ain't no cause for 'em to be knowin' such sordid stuff."  
  
"There's nothing sordid about my profession." She lowered her voice. "And it's certainly a much better life than what you're sending them into."  
  
"Ain't gonna have this talk again."  
  
She caught his arm before he could walk away, and dragged him a few yards away. "You're many things, but you are not a slaver, nor party to one. Please tell me why we haven't even considered finding a legitimate orphanage for these children? Please, Mal. Please."  
  
He looked as though he wanted to say something, but after a moment had passed and he hadn't uttered a word, Inara released him. "I was holding out hope that you had some ill-conceived mission in mind, like you so often do. I suppose I can stop hoping now."  
  
This time, Mal caught her before she could go. "Would you still leave if there was nothin' left to admire in me? If there weren't no more strength to get 'ttached to…would you stay?"  
  
Wash's voice boomed through the intercom. "Capt'n, we're in com distance of Osiris. Ready to ask for dockin' clearance on your say-so."  
  
Mal walked backwards, away from Inara, until he reached the entrance to the cargo bay. He pressed a button and spoke, still staring at the Companion. "Clear us, Wash." Pressing another button, he addressed the entire ship. "Ladies, gentlemen and Jayne…welcome to Osiris."

* * *

To Be Continued 


	5. Ch 5

Disclaimer: Characters contained within do not belong to me but to Joss Whedon. 

Author's Notes: Yes, it's been a long time. My apologies. If you're still reading, thank you, thank you, thank you. Enjoy! Only 112 days until the movie FINALLY comes out!

* * *

Precious

by Kristen Elizabeth

* * *

Osiris. Kaylee sighed with complete happiness as she caught her first glimpse of the Core planet from _Serenity's_ ramp. Even the docks were upscale, she was amazed to note. Warehouses spread out from the docking areas in neat rows; there was no dust clogging up the air. In the distance, she could see Capital City with its high rises, buildings that threatened to touch the very clouds themselves. Beyond that there were mountains in shades of dark green that she'd only dreamt of.

"It's so shiny," she whispered.

"Everything that glitters isn't gold."

Kaylee's skin went all gooseflesh at the sound of Simon's voice. She hadn't even heard him coming up behind him. She turned her head to look at him…and had to choke back an eruption of giggles. "What in the 'verse are you wearin'?"

The doctor glanced down at his outfit, a mismatched effort compiled from the mending basket that only he, as the steadiest hand with a needle, ever seemed to attend to. One of Jayne's T-shirts shirts hung on his lesser-built frame. He'd covered it up with a hideous printed shirt that had to belong to Wash. A pair of Book's loose-legged pants finished up the ensemble.

"I'm in disguise," he explained, withdrawing his small-framed sunglasses from his pocket. He slipped them on and attempted a smile. "_Jing zi_, don't you think?"

Kaylee nodded as somberly as she could. "I guess no one's gonna look at those clothes and think that Dr. Simon Tam'd ever be caught dead in 'em."

"Precisely!" Her amused expression fell and instantly he corrected himself "Not that there's anything wrong with dressing like this. It's just not…my style." Simon stopped. "Well…it's probably not necessary. I have no intention of stepping foot off this ship for the duration of our stay."

"Prob'ly a good idea."

He glanced over his shoulder, into the cargo bay where Book and Inara were fussing with the children. "What do you think is going to happen to them?"

"No idea," Kaylee replied with much regret. "I just…I gotta trust the Capt'n. He'll do the right thing."

A moment of pregnant silence followed. "You really care for him. Don't you?"

The resignation in his words startled her. "'Course I do."

Simon nodded. "I understand."

Kaylee frowned. "He's the Capt'n."

"_Shr ah_."

"'Fore him, I ain't never met any menfolk who'd give me a chance at fixin' things…'cept my Pa. Sure, most of 'em liked me on my back, but not under an engine."

Simon cleared his throat. "Ah. I…um…I see."

She studied his handsomely cut profile for a second before continuing. "He ain't never let me down, Simon. So I can't let him down by thinkin' the worst of him. _Shumma_?"

He pulled off his sunglasses in order to look into her eyes. "I pray that he never disappoints you, Kaylee."

Something in his tone bothered her, but she shrugged it off as best she could. As horrible as the job might have been, they still had a job to do. And if the pained look on Inara's face that was clear all the way across the cargo bay was any indication, Book could use a hand rounding up the excited children.

"I gotta…" She pointed to them.

"Of course." Simon fumbled about putting his sunglasses back on. "I should check on River. I'm going to try to give her a mild sedative."

Kaylee's eyes grew wide, but she refrained from voicing her objection to his chosen course of action regarding his sister. If he thought it was best, who was she to argue? He was the one with the fancy schoolin'.

"I know," he continued, frowning. "I hate the very idea of doing it. But River doesn't know…because I haven't been able to tell her…that our parents want nothing to do with me. With us." Simon looked out over the docks, towards the sprawling city. "If she were to run off while we're here to try to see them…I'm afraid of her finding out. She has so little anchoring her to this world as it is."

She couldn't stop herself from reaching out and touching his cheek. He'd neglected to shave that morning, likely another part of his disguise, and the stubble felt surprisingly pleasant against her fingers. "She has you. I'm thinkin' that's what's most important to her."

Simon made no movement to back away from the innocent, yet significant contact. And to his credit, he sensed that it was a moment to keep quiet rather than try to fill the pause with babbled attempts at conversation.

Kaylee would have been quite content to stay right there for the rest of her life, but Mal interrupted right then with a crisp, "Kaylee. Front and center," shouted across the bay.

With an apologetic smile, she left Simon standing on the ramp, unaware of his eyes watching her every movement.

"What's up, sir?" she asked the Captain way too cheerfully.

"Me and Zoë and Jayne are goin' to check out the drop site," Mal informed her. "I'm puttin' you in charge of keepin' order while we're gone."

Confused, she looked up at him. "Sure thing. But…" She trailed off as she realized something. "Wait…you're not takin' the kids with you." Kaylee's eyes lit up. "You're not gonna sell 'em, are you!"

Mal clamped one finger against her lips, bringing a crashing halt to her temporary joy. "Standard doin', Kaylee. Gotta check it all out 'fore we bring along the cargo."

When his hand fell away, she took a step back, swallowing heavily. There was nothing she could say back to him. He stood in front of her as a man who'd made up his mind.

A fallen hero.

"Be careful, Capt'n," she murmured before fleeing.

Across the cargo bay, Inara watched their exchange. Her eyes narrowed when Kaylee ran away from Mal on the verge of tears.

* * *

"Even the slums are fancy in the Core," Zoë marveled.

Mal barely gave a passing glance to the warehouses surrounding them as they headed for their designated rendezvous point an hour later. "Same slums. Just better coverin'," he muttered.

Jayne whistled at a pair of hookers as they passed by in a cloud of cheap perfume. "Not much coverin' that I'm seein'," he leered at the scantily dressed girls.

Zoë shot him a look. "Roll your tongue back up. They're fourteen if they're a day."

As if to verify this, Jayne glanced back at them. Mal reached over and forcibly grabbed his chin, directing his face straight ahead.

Pissed off, Jayne whacked his hand away. "For someone's who's fixin' to sell off a bunch of kids, you're downright techy 'bout 'em." Despite, or perhaps because of, Mal's deadly expression, he continued, "I figure those sweet gals been sold a few times over the…"

Before Mal could rip Jayne a new one, Zoë stepped in. "Boys, let's not be creating a scene. Unless you want to see if the jail cells on the Core are just as fancy as their docks."

"He started it," Jayne protested.

"And I'm ending it."

Her tone left no room for further protest. There wouldn't have been time for it anyway. Just a few moments later, Mal stopped in front of one particular warehouse. Although it looked no different than the ones flanking it on either side, he announced, "This is the place."

"How you figure?"

As if to answer Jayne personally, the warehouse's double doors opened, revealing a man and a woman who had both seen better days. They were flanked on either side by men with guns. Instinct compelled Mal, Jayne and Zoë to lift their hands into the air.

"You Malcolm Reynolds?" the man asked.

"Captain Reynolds," Mal corrected him. "We're here 'bout the cargo we took on in Athens."

The man's beady eyes narrowed even further. "Don't see it with you."

"They…it's back on my ship. Didn't seem right to be makin' such a transaction in broad daylight."

After exchanging a look with the woman at his side, the man nodded at his guards; the guns were instantly lowered. "You come to negotiate a better price?"

Mal's face was a mask without a hint of emotion. "Maybe. First I'd like to be seein' where the cargo's goin'. Point of courtesy…you understand."

"Ain't a lot courtesy runnin' 'round these circles no more, Captain," the woman pointed out.

"Call me old fashioned." Only someone who'd been unfortunate enough to have seen it knew the inherent danger in the smile Mal gave her.

Another second passed before the man nodded. "I'm Skip. This here's Judy."

"Skip?" Jayne coughed back a laugh. Mal silenced him with a look.

"Right this way," Skip directed.

With Skip leading, the trio entered the dark warehouse. None of them, not even the two who'd survived a bloody, degrading war, were prepared for what lay within.

* * *

"_Zai jian_. And again, my most sincere apologies."

Inara signed off the Cortex with a sigh. That was the third client whose appointment she'd been forced to cancel due to her sudden change in plans. This one had at least been a regular, one of the few she'd retained from her days on Sihnon. He'd been understanding, knowing she would do her best to make up the inconvenience to him at a later date. Still, it wasn't good to gain a reputation as being an unreliable Companion. Men didn't like to wait, especially men who were used to getting their way.

The peace she'd sought out by secluding herself in her shuttle no longer comforted her. After spending the past couple of days in the company of so many little voices, it was hard to go back to the reverent silence of a Companion's boudoir. If only Mal was there to intrude, as she could once have relied upon him to do. But he was out on a job. Most likely haggling for the best price for the children.

There was a metallic rap on her door. "_Cheeng jeen_," she called out. Perhaps it was Mal coming to tell her that she'd been right all along. That he really couldn't go through with it.

But it was Book. "Am I disturbing you?" he asked as he entered.

"Not at all. I was just…rescheduling." Inara gestured to the tea set perched on one of her trunks. "Would you like a cup?"

"No, thank you." The older man folded his arms across his chest. "Kaylee was worried about you. The way you took off before. You've been so invested in the children…she thought it odd that you'd stay away from them now."

"Perhaps I overstepped the limits of my own abilities," Inara replied, straining to keep her voice from wavering. "I just couldn't…look at them anymore."

"Out of sight, out of mind?"

She smiled down at the floor. "Something like that."

"Child." Book unfolded his arms and reached for her hand, taking it between his warm, calloused ones. "Is that the way of it with the Captain?"

Her head snapped up. "No. No, I'm leaving purely for business reasons. Mal has nothing to do with my decision to…" Inara stopped. "Why can't I lie to you?"

"It's the collar." He let a few seconds pass. "You know, I was quite shocked when you made your announcement that you were leaving."

"Why?"

"Because I'd like to think that this collar is more than just a decoration, and that I might have some insight into the people around me," Book replied. "I felt an attachment between you and the Captain from the moment I came aboard."

"When he introduced me as the ship's whore?" she half-laughed.

"It was the way he said it."

Genuinely curious, Inara looked up at his weathered face. "How was that?"

"Like…if I had any less than pious thoughts about you, he'd have me blown out an airlock."

The suggestion warmed her, but she didn't let the feeling last long before she shook her head. "I'm sorry to say you were imagining things."

"I'm not sure about that at all." He gently squeezed her fingers. "When this latest misadventure comes to its inevitable conclusion, will you be able to walk away? Return to your old life?"

"I almost did before, didn't I?"

"Yes," he agreed. "But look how quickly you made the choice to stay just a little bit longer."

Inara slipped her hands out of his fatherly grasp. "I'll have to find the strength to do it…and to stand by my convictions this time. Because that old life…it's all I have left." She swallowed. "It's all I am."

"No, child." Book touched her cheek for a brief moment. "You've very wrong about that. I just hope you can bring yourself to believe it before it's too late."

Inara had no time to ponder his words, or any possible response to them. A commotion from the cargo bay interrupted the moment, and they both rushed out of the shuttle to see to it. From the metal balcony, Inara could see Mal re-board _Serenity_, with a very somber-looking Jayne and Zoë behind him. He glanced up just in time to catch her eye.

_Wu de tyen ah_…the man had the power to make her stomach flip.

Mal strode over to the comm panel and pushed a button. "All hands report to the cockpit in five minutes." His gaze wandered back over to Inara. "You too."

She followed Book up and down the maize of rusty steps, past Simon's infirmary, through the honeysuckle galley, beyond the crew quarters and up another set of stairs into the cramped cockpit. Inara slipped in place just behind Kaylee.

"What's happened?" she whispered to the younger girl.

Kaylee shrugged. "No idea. But Jayne looks kinda…" She paused. "Sad."

They didn't have to wait long for the answers to their questions. Mal was the last to stride into the cockpit; he looked around, counting heads, then turned to Zoë. "Where's River?"

"Watching the kids," she replied. Mal blinked. "I know," Zoë went on. "Not the smartest of ideas. But would you rather leave 'em unsupervised?"

"Crazy leadin' the kiddies," Jayne mumbled.

"She's not crazy," Simon came to his sister's defense. "She's amazing with the children, if you've bothered to notice."

"Well, long as she don't let 'em poke holes in the hull." Mal shook off any concern about River, the babysitter. "I know you're all wonderin' what's goin' on." As he spoke, he moved his eyes from one person to the next, fixing each of them with a patented Reynolds stare. "There's been a lot bein' said 'bout me an' my morals of late. And I gotta say…I ain't been comin' out too shiny."

Wash cleared his throat. "I wouldn't say that…"

"You've been one step above septic sludge," Inara finished for him as she returned Mal's stare.

"Yeah, well…" Mal crossed his arms over his suspender straps. "Can't say I blame the thought." He paused. "We took a little walk today. Ended up at the drop site."

Book looked back and forth between Mal, Zoë and Jayne. "And I gather our suspicions were correct? We're not dealing with a legitimate orphanage? Or even an illegitimate one?"

"They're slavers," Zoë stated flatly. "No way 'round it. More than that…" She looked down at her hands, suddenly overcome. "I can't, sir." Wash reached for her hand, and for the first time in days she let him entwine his fingers with hers.

Kaylee nibbled on her lower lip. "Capt'n? Was it bad?"

"Weren't fit for pigs," Jayne declared, tersely. "I been in my share of _shu ma nyaow_ jail cells, but they ain't never been bad as…that place. Kids chained to the floor that weren't nothin' but dirt. Lookin' like gorram skeletons." He kicked Wash's chair, the closest thing to him. Wash barely noticed.

"_Huh choo-shang tza-jiao duh tzang-huo_," Book cursed under his breath.

Inara put a hand to her mouth. "My god…Mal…we have to do something. We can't…you can't…"

He cut her off. "Here's the deal. Me an' Zoë go to make the drop." When several mouths dropped open in protest, Mal continued, "Book, Jayne…you two are back-up. They got guards with guns. No lasers, but plenty of ammo. Figure the four of us can make a good dent in 'em."

Mal turned to Kaylee. "You and Wash'll stay here with _Serenity_, and keep her ready to go at the drop of my hat. We're gonna be makin' a fuss that might get some Alliance attention. Somethin' goes wrong, you get our siblings outta sight, got it?"

"_Dang ran_," she nodded, her eyes wide.

"And you." He looked at Inara. "You use those fancy connections of yours and get our kids to a real orphanage. Figure there's gotta be one 'round here somewhere."

"Our kids?" she repeated. Mal seemed momentarily at a loss for words. Inara let him off the hook by smiling and nodding. "I'm sure I can make appropriate arrangements for them."

"All goes well, we'll join up with you, with the kids they got stored away right now." Having recovered from his slip of the tongue, Mal looked around at his crew one more time. "Questions?"

Wash raised the hand that wasn't clasping his wife's. "One. Who was the asshole Mal who's been goin' 'round here lately, and what's the likelihood of him ever comin' back?"

His question was answered with a glare. "Everybody got their jobs; let's get goin'. Ain't long 'til sundown." No one moved for a long moment. "Don't mistake that for a request, people."

Leading through example, Mal was the first out the cockpit door. Gathering up her skirt, Inara ran after him. Despite calling his name several times, she didn't get him to stop and acknowledge her until they were halfway to the cargo bay.

"That was it…all along?" she asked, after catching her breath from the chase. "Your grand plan? You had one…and that's it?"

Mal hooked his thumbs in his pants pockets. "See, here's what bothers me. Everyone on this boat assumin' that I didn't have one."

"What were we supposed to think?" Inara snapped. "You didn't bother sharing anything with us."

"My plan; my choice to share or not."

She shook her head, dark curls bouncing every which way. "You put us in a position to judge you and we did. Harshly, I admit. But you're so against slavery…"

"Exactly!" He advanced on her. She counted by backing up until she reached a wall and could go no further. Mal stopped only inches away from her. "You shoulda figured…you all shoulda figured."

"Do you want me to apologize?" Inara did her best to keep from squirming at his close proximity. "I won't. You left us far too much room for interpreting your actions."

Mal planted one hand against the wall just beside her head, and leaned in. "I had to check out the situation 'fore I came up with a plan."

"You still should have told us," Inara whispered. "We deserved to know. After everything we've been through, right alongside you, I might add. We're more than just your crew." A blush spread across her cheeks. "I mean…they are. They're more to you than just…"

He stopped her with a finger to her lips. "When you're here, on my boat, and part of my plan…you're still my crew, Inara."

"For now." She grabbed his hand and guided it back down to his side. "As soon as this is over, I'll be taking an apartment in Capital City. And you'll be rid of me for good this time."

Mal's eyes turned a shade darker. "Whatever you want. Ambassador." He pushed away from the wall. "Start makin' those arrangements. I got work to do."

She touched her lips after he was gone, not surprised to find them still warm from his touch.

* * *

To Be Continued 


End file.
